The overall purpose of this unit is to educate students about brain awareness. Within the sequence of lessons students will be subjected to the anatomy and physiology of the human brain. In lessons pertaining to this students will gain hands on experiences and benefit from visual learning. Students will learn the importance of brain protection and how our bodies form their own safety gear for high impacts, trauma, etc. Scientific inquiry as well scientific methods will be used to meet the requirements of modern scientific learning. For the last lessons within the unit students will delve into the nervous system and investigate various aspects within the topic.
Some ways in which learning will be amplified through my teaching is the use of literacy within the classroom; being aware of students' modalities in the terms of what kind of learners they are. For example, visual, kinesthetic or auditory learners. Also conducting investigations in order to develop understanding, ability, values of inquiry and knowledge of science content and connecting this information to students' lives. Lastly, I will be sure to promote technology in the classroom through interactive video, web pictures and for research purposes. With these concepts students should feel engaged and ready to learn about the human brain and all of it's main aspects.
Unpacked Learning Goal:National Science Standard: Specialized cells perform specialized functions in multicellular organisms. Groups of specialized cells cooperate to form a tissue, such as a muscle. Different tissues are in turn grouped together to form larger functional units, called organs. Each type of cell, tissue, and organ has a distinct structure and set of functions that serve the organism as a whole.
1. What does this standard mean?
Organs are made through a complex cycle beginning with specialized cells.
When cells cooperate they in turn form a tissue.
Once a tissue is made, depending on where it is located, it groups together with like-tissues to form complex organs.
Organs (such as the brain) have distinct structures and functions in a way that is beneficial to the entirety of the human body. 2. What prior knowledge do students need to understand the standard?
Students need to understand cells, types of cells and how they coagulate to form tissues.
Students need to know that tissues form organs.
Students need to understand that the Brain is a highly complex organ.
Students need to understand that this one organ in particular is crucial to sustain life.
Students need to understand that the Brain (organ) is made up of subsections which contribute to the different functions in the body. (ie: hearing, seeing, etc.) 3. What misconceptions might students have around the topics contained in the standard?
Students may think that a tissue is made of one single cell.
Students may think that a tissue was an organ.
Students may think that the brain was not an organ.
Students may think that the cycle of specialized cells turning into tissues which in turn become organs is not crucial to the human body as a whole.Students will efficiently use the following science practices when investigating new topics:
Identify and describe the topic being learned. (ie: Identify the lobe located above the ear region of the human head and describe it's function.)
Measurement. (ie: Measuring ingredients to conduct any laboratory experiment.)
Representing data and interpreting representations. (ie: Students using tables and graphs to organize and display information both qualitatively and quantitatively.)
Predicting/Inferring -Predicting/inferring involves using knowledge of a principle or relationship to make an inference about something that has not been directly observed. ( ie: the Occipital lobe is located in the back of the head and is responsible for sight, when asked what would happen if the Occipital lobe was damaged students should be able to infer that your eye sight would be altered.)
Give examples of -Students produce examples of topics (ie: What in your locker weighs about 3 pounds? Compare that to the weight of the human brain.)
Posing questions - Students identify and ask questions about phenomena that can be answered through scientific investigations (ie: "Well if the egg splattered on the sidewalk when the presence of fluid was absent, what would happen if we added fluid?")
Designing and conducting investigations - Designing investigation includes: identifying and specifying what variables need to be manipulated, measured (independent and dependent variables) and controlled; constructing hypotheses; specifying the relationship between variables; constructing/developing procedures that allow them to explore their hypotheses; and determining what observations will be made, how often the data will be collected, and what type of observations will be made.
Constructing evidence-based explanations - Students use scientific theories, models and principles along with evidence to build explanations of phenomena; it also entails ruling out alternative hypotheses.
Applying Concepts - Using concepts to solve problems and make relationships.
Analyzing and interpreting data - Students make sense of data by answering the questions: “What does the data we collected mean?” “How does this data help me answer my question?” Interpreting and analyzing can include transforming the data and finding patterns in the data.
Evaluating/Reflecting/Making an Argument - Students ask: Do these data support this claim? Are these data reliable? Evaluate measurement: Is the following an example of good or bad measurement?
Each lesson within this unit is created in the way that it builds upon the previous. It is highly sequential in order and creates an understanding in the students that life begins with a microscopic cell which eventually creates tissue and in turn creates complex organs which work together to benefit the body as a whole. This lesson sequence covers a 10 day period. Detailed Lesson 1
Describe how you will assess your students' understanding of the unit's learning goals throughout the unit. These assessments should include formative assessments, e.g. questions that you ask that probe probable misconceptions, embedded assessments, e.g. activity artifacts, and summative assessments, e.g. tests and quizzes. Note: You are encouraged to use the assessment developed in class in this section.
VERY IMPORTANTYour rationale should focus on the following questions: How did you make the topic meaningful for students? How did you make use of inquiry? What are the ways in which you assessed student learning? How did you take account of students' prior experiences and knowledge? How will you sequence lessons so that they support the understanding of the learning outcomes? How will you help students make sense of the materials? Please make use of class readings and discussions in writing your rationale. The rationale is important because it serves as evidence that you are thinking about the unit like a teacher, i.e. going beyond "writing plans" to thinking about how you are going to engage your students with a topic in a way that builds over two or three weeks.
Author:Carrie Boisclair
Grade Level: 7
Course: General Science
Purpose of Unit
The overall purpose of this unit is to educate students about brain awareness. Within the sequence of lessons students will be subjected to the anatomy and physiology of the human brain. In lessons pertaining to this students will gain hands on experiences and benefit from visual learning. Students will learn the importance of brain protection and how our bodies form their own safety gear for high impacts, trauma, etc. Scientific inquiry as well scientific methods will be used to meet the requirements of modern scientific learning. For the last lessons within the unit students will delve into the nervous system and investigate various aspects within the topic.Some ways in which learning will be amplified through my teaching is the use of literacy within the classroom; being aware of students' modalities in the terms of what kind of learners they are. For example, visual, kinesthetic or auditory learners. Also conducting investigations in order to develop understanding, ability, values of inquiry and knowledge of science content and connecting this information to students' lives. Lastly, I will be sure to promote technology in the classroom through interactive video, web pictures and for research purposes. With these concepts students should feel engaged and ready to learn about the human brain and all of it's main aspects.
Unpacked Learning Goal:National Science Standard: Specialized cells perform specialized functions in multicellular organisms. Groups of specialized cells cooperate to form a tissue, such as a muscle. Different tissues are in turn grouped together to form larger functional units, called organs. Each type of cell, tissue, and organ has a distinct structure and set of functions that serve the organism as a whole.1. What does this standard mean?
===Concept Map: The Human Brain===
Each lesson within this unit is created in the way that it builds upon the previous. It is highly sequential in order and creates an understanding in the students that life begins with a microscopic cell which eventually creates tissue and in turn creates complex organs which work together to benefit the body as a whole. This lesson sequence covers a 10 day period.Detailed Lesson 1
Short Lesson 1
Short Lesson 2
Short Lesson 3
Detailed Lesson 2
Short Lesson 4
Detailed Lesson 3
Describe how you will assess your students' understanding of the unit's learning goals throughout the unit. These assessments should include formative assessments, e.g. questions that you ask that probe probable misconceptions, embedded assessments, e.g. activity artifacts, and summative assessments, e.g. tests and quizzes. Note: You are encouraged to use the assessment developed in class in this section.
VERY IMPORTANTYour rationale should focus on the following questions: How did you make the topic meaningful for students? How did you make use of inquiry? What are the ways in which you assessed student learning? How did you take account of students' prior experiences and knowledge? How will you sequence lessons so that they support the understanding of the learning outcomes? How will you help students make sense of the materials? Please make use of class readings and discussions in writing your rationale. The rationale is important because it serves as evidence that you are thinking about the unit like a teacher, i.e. going beyond "writing plans" to thinking about how you are going to engage your students with a topic in a way that builds over two or three weeks.